Improved extension-laddeb



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Q@ k @Q N m w m .8@ bd @N l My N. PETERS. PHOTO-LTHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON D f @nitrh'tstrsg ganar @fitta I vLetters Patent No. 77,640,dated'lllfay 5, 1868,

IMPEOVEE EXTENSION-LADDER.

Y ,i ethecbehult tramita-iu tigen httett tant mit mitliiugppttt nf tht-simo.

TQ-ALL WHOM MAY G ONCERN:

.Be it'known 'that ILJAMES MORSE, of Montgomery, inf'th-e county of.' Kane, and State of Illinois, have invented-:al new andu'seflil Improvement in vExtension-Ladders; and I do hereby declare and make known that the following .is a full, clear, and exact description o f the same, 'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters andv figures markedthereon', which form part yof this specification.

My said invention'consistsl in-a novel arrangement of mechanical devices. in connectionwith a ladder con- Btructed in two parts or members, one susceptible of being moved upand down upon the other for the purpose of lengthening orfgshortening the ladder,- whereby the upper or sliding member of the ladder may be moved up orzdown, `as desired, when the person .using the ladder is standing upon the sliding member, vthus enabling him :to adjust the ladder with great accuracy and ease, and avoiding the trouble and loss of time incident upon descending from the ladder for the purpose of adjusting it'to the desired length, as is necessary with all otherextension-ladders now in use.

.Toenable those skilled in the art to understand how-to construct and use my invention, I will proceed to describe thesame with particularity, making reference in so doing to the aforesaid drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my invention.

Figure 2, a side view or elevation of the same, I

Figure 3 a side sectional View thereof,and

lFigure 4 a transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference in theseveral figures denote the same parts of my invention.

Arepresents the lower member of the ladder, which rests upon theground, provided with the usual 'rnngs s teps'markedQ-y B representing the 'adjustable or sliding member, prorided with rungs' or steps d in thc usual manner. I

'lhe sliding member is of such width, with respect to the'stationary member, as to fit within the standards A, and is'seeured in such position by means of thc tongues b upon the standards B, which enter the corresponding longitudinal grooves a' in the standards A, as clearly' shown in iig-Liso that the member B has a`fr'ee reciprocating or sliding movement upon and in 'the member A.

.The upper end of the -mcmbo'r B is provided with the rollers 0.0, to facilitate .upward-or downward movement of the sam'e'upon the wall or other surface `against which the ladder may be raised.

' To one'of theupper rungs of the stationary member `A are attached, upon each side ofthe ladder, asshown,

-the cords m m, wl1icb, passing down bcnca'th the sheaves E E npon the lower end of the-member B, go up and are secured v'toa transversel'shaft or axle, D, arranged at the ,upper end-.of said member B, which shaft, by means of a crankshaft,A HI, and the gear-wheels F G, can bo readily revolved, so as to Wind up the cords m upon it,v

when desired, by a person standing upon any o5 the rungs d, provided hecan reach the. handle I. l

, Jrepresents a ratchet-,wheel fined upon the shaft H, into which a paw-l, P, is held bythe action of a spring", 4Sp1-ndv thus holds lthe member B securely in any positionfor'ai; any elevation to which'it may beraised.`

' When the person upon the lladder wishes to shorten the Vsame, by simply withdrawing the pawl, from the ratchet-wheel, his own; Weight will cause tbcvmcmber B to descend to the required position, when, by releasing lthe pawl, the descent is checked, as desired.

Having described the nature, construction. and operation of my invention, I will now specify what I claim and desireto secure -byLetters Patent. I 4

` I claim, in combination with the members 'A B of the ladder, lthe arrangcment'of thepulleys E, cords mm,

'shaftD,.and gearing F G, whereby the operator can raisel andln'welr the vupper lmember of the ladder whenV standing upon the same, substantially as specilied and shown. v

' JAMES MORSE.

llllitnesses l H.l F.' VAN N onrwren, SAMUEL PARKER'. 

